More Russia sanctions to provoke ‘dangerous situation’ in Europe – German vice-chancellor

Tougher sanctions against Russia could destabilize the country and provoke an “even more dangerous” situation in Europe and have negative consequences for the entire world, German Vice-Chancellor Economic Affairs and Energy Minister has warned.

"Those who want it, provoke an even more dangerous situation
for all of us in Europe," Sigmar Gabriel said in an
interview with the Bild am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday.

"Those who are seeking to even more destabilize Russia from
the economic and political point of view are pursuing quite
different goals."

The goal of sanctions against Russia was to return Moscow to the
negotiating table to find ways for a peaceful resolution to the
crisis in Ukraine, he said.

He elaborated that additional sanctions may exclude Moscow from
partnership in the resolution of conflicts which “will have
very dangerous consequences for the entire world."

Though there are some in the US and EU that "would like to
floor their superpower rival,” but it is not in the interest
of Germany or Europe, he stated.

"We want to help solve the conflict in Ukraine, not to force
Russia to its knees," he stressed.

The US and EU slapped Russia with several rounds of sanctions,
starting in March after Crimea joined Russia. Western nations
have accused Russia of annexing Crimea, though Moscow has denied
the claims stressing that residents of the peninsula voted in
favor of the notion in a referendum that was in line with the
international law and the UN Charter. The first round of Western
sanctions targeted Russian officials and companies and included
visa bans and asset freezes.

The second round of sanctions that put pressure on financial,
energy, and defense sectors was announced in July with the US and
EU blaming Moscow for involvement in the unrest in eastern
Ukraine. Moscow has denied the claims.

Following Western restrictions, Russia imposed a one-year ban on
imports of beef, pork, poultry, fish, cheeses, fruit, vegetables
and dairy products from Australia, Canada, the European Union,
the US and Norway in August.

France’s largest farming association - the National Federation of
Unions of Agricultural Operators (FNSEA) – said in August that
Russia’s ban could push Europe into a market crisis.

The Netherlands, Germany, and Poland were Russia’s biggest food
suppliers in the EU. The US shipped $1.6 billion worth of food to
Russia in 2013. Prior to the sanctions Russia imported 36.7
percent of its meat, 32.6 percent of dairy, eggs, and honey, 30.4
percent of vegetables, and 24.2 percent of fruit from the EU,
according to 2014 trade data.

A new sanctions package was pushed by the West a few days after
the Minsk agreement was signed on September 5, which included a
ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.

In response, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an
interview to France 24 in Moscow in December that “if this is
what Europe has as a reaction to something positive, then I once
again can only say that we hugely overestimated European
independence in foreign policy.”

He recalled the public statement made by US Vice President Joe
Biden that America’s leadership had to embarrass Europe to impose
economic hits on Russia over the crisis in Ukraine – even though
the EU was opposed to such a motion. “I don’t believe [the
sanctions] help Europe,” Lavrov said.